Firewood is a proven environmentally beneficial fuel, not only does it  reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released it can cut emission's if sourced locally from your local tree surgeon or firewood merchant.  The firewood merchant may supply you with FSC certified wood, but the tree surgeons arisings may be just as sustainable coming from tree work which is encouraging growth of healthy trees and saving timber from going to landfill where its deterioration would give off greenhouses gases.

The Directory will list the supplier who may offer a delivery service to you with a measure of the wood delivered in cubic metres.  This is the preferred volume to deliver wood in, as firewood should be as dry as possible when seasoned and therefore as light as possible.  Some firewood will be sold as “green” or freshly felled and the customer should allow time for the wood to loose its moisture from around 60% down to around 25% before being able to be burned efficiently.

Your local tree surgeon may offer a mixed load of different species of timber, or the firewood merchant will be able to give you precisely what species make up the loads delivered; but all wood is of a calorific value, some better than others, the main requirement for wood to burn  efficiently is it's moisture content, often referred to as “seasoning”.  

All wood will burn, however some are best suited to stoves as they can spit  such as horse chestnut, pines and spruces.   Wood is an efficient fuel producing less than 1% of ash when burnt.  This ash can be put on the garden as a useful natural fertiliser,  neutralising acid soils.  However to start a fire well, leave a bed of ash and lay a layer of scrunched up newspapers and then kindling sticks, criss crossed over the paper, leave the damper open and light the fire, once the kindling has lit, put on larger logs and shut the damper once the dark smoke has gone and the wood has started to burn well.  

If you live in a “Smoke Control Areas” some stoves are exempted from this legislation as they are classed as burning  efficiently – ask your local Environmental Health Officers  and stove installers for a list of which appliances can be fitted in your area.

Asking your supplier for the following information about the firewood, will give an informed choice as to what product is best for you.

What type of wood is being sold?

How is it sold; in nets or tipped loads of what volume?

Is it seasoned and what is the Moisture Content?

Does the price include delivery and VAT? 

You can help the seller by providing information about what you require.

Is the wood to be burnt on an open fire or in a stove?

What size logs are required?

Does the seller offer any other products such as kindling sticks and a stacking service?

is access good for a tip load or will the logs have to be delivered by some other means such as nets?

Once you have your logs store your wood in an airy place, a purpose built log store is ideal as it has open sides and a covered roof which allows air to flow.  Unlike coal, wood needs to be allowed to have air flow through it, as it may go mouldy or musty if put in an enclosed area.